Photo: Press Service of the President of Ukraine
The US administration has sent an “improved” version of an agreement on the extraction of minerals in Ukraine to Kiev, Axios reported.
The dispute over minerals has been a sharp turn in US-Ukrainian relations in recent days. President Donald Trump has denounced his Ukrainian counterpart as an “unelected dictator” who chose war with Russia, while Zelensky has responded by accusing him of buying Russian “disinformation.”
Sources on both sides say an agreement is now being signed that would allow the US to exploit Ukrainian minerals. Zelensky ordered ministers not to sign the document, saying the initial version of the agreement did not protect the country's interests. The improved terms of the agreement are expected to please the Ukrainian president.
According to sources, the document contains "significant improvements" and is "in line with Ukrainian legislation." The agreement "takes into account some of Zelensky's concerns." In particular, it removes a clause that the agreement would be subject to the jurisdiction of a New York court. No other details were provided.
"Several of Zelensky's advisers advised him to sign the updated document to "avoid new disagreements" with Trump and give him the opportunity to justify his support for Ukraine," the report said.
National Security Advisor Mike Valls said that the Ukrainian leader should "return to the table" on the issue of minerals.
"This is a negotiation. And in a negotiation, you negotiate. Ukraine wants to negotiate on minerals, so we're talking about that," the White House official said.
Zelensky does not want to give the United States the rights to 50 percent of Ukraine's mineral resources
The Ukrainian president refused to sign the relevant agreement. He also discussed with US representatives his proposal for a mining agreement prepared in accordance with the Ukrainian constitution.
US Senator Brian Schatz said after meeting with the Ukrainian president that Trump's proposal "needs to be improved," but declined to discuss details. He stressed that Zelensky's "claims about the one-sidedness of the agreement are fair."
Ukrainian Resources in Exchange for Security Guarantees
According to Trump, he and Zelensky intend to conclude a $500 million deal to give American investors access to Ukraine's rare earth and gas fields in exchange for security guarantees in a future peace treaty with Russia.
The idea of giving the West access to Ukraine's mineral resources was also mentioned in Zelensky's "victory plan" presented to then-US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in the fall of 2024.
On February 3, Trump began talking about this option again, which caused a huge stir among Western politicians and the media. On February 7, Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters that the United States would have priority in developing Ukraine's natural resources because "the Americans have helped more than anyone else."
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